Sanitary insert unit

ABSTRACT

A sanitary insert unit ( 1 ), which can be inserted into a discharge fitting is provided, comprising a substantially conically-shaped upstream sieve ( 2 ) with a downstream-located throughflow regulator ( 3 ) and a jet regulator ( 4 ) in a direction of flow. The throughflow regulator ( 3 ) is arranged substantially inside the inner area ( 6 ) of the insert unit, which is defined on the upper side by the upstream sieve ( 2 ). The throughflow regulator ( 3 ) has a cross-sectional shape that is substantially adapted to the cross-sectional profile of the upstream sieve ( 2 ). The throughflow regulator ( 3 ) has a rising sloping surface ( 9 ) which rises gradually in a radially inward manner from an outer, particularly annular, edge area and which leads to a control gap ( 10 ) or a similar throughflow opening that leads to the jet regulator ( 4 ). The rising sloping surface ( 9 ) and the upstream sieve are spaced apart from one another.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.10/547,204, filed Aug. 26, 2005, which was a 371 National Phase ofPCT/EP2004/02504, filed Mar. 11, 2004.

BACKGROUND

The invention relates to a sanitary insert unit, which can be insertedinto a discharge fitting, comprising an essentially conical-shapedupstream sieve with a downstream throughflow regulator and a jetregulator located further downstream in the direction of the flow.

Sanitary insert units of the type mentioned at the outset have beenknown in various embodiments. Such insert units are regularly insertedinto a discharge mouthpiece, which is mounted in a detachable manner ina sanitary discharge fitting. With the aid of such insert units, ahomogenous, soft, and non-splashing water jet is formed.

Such insert units, comprising an upstream throughflow regulator and adownstream jet regulator, can result in mounting problems due to theirconstruction size. In particular, the retrofitting into such dischargefittings is problematic, which had previously been operated with aninsert unit comprising no throughflow regulators but a jet regulatoronly, because the latter insert unit has a lower construction heightthan the insert unit with a throughflow regulator.

SUMMARY

Thus, the object is to provide a sanitary insert unit of the typementioned at the outset, in which the mounting problems based on theconstruction height are avoided even in environments with limited space.

The object is attained according to the invention in particular in thatthe throughflow regulator is essentially arranged within the interiorspace of the insert unit limited at its top by the upstream sieve.

Thus, the previously unused interior space below the upstream sieve ofinsert units known is practically used for the throughflow regulator, sothat the construction height of the insert unit according to theinvention with the throughflow regulator requires little or no increasein reference to the construction height of a conventional insert unit.

In this way, a hundred percent geometrical compatibility of two suchinsert units is realized so that any mutual exchange of the insert unitsor the optional retrofitting of the throughflow regulator is possiblewithout any problems.

The insertion of the throughflow regulator into the interior spacelimited by the upstream sieve can occur in a particularly efficientmanner, when the throughflow regulator is provided with across-sectional profile essentially shaped corresponding to the profileof the upstream sieve.

Over time, the upstream sieve can become clogged by contaminants orcalcium deposits. In order to ensure sufficient water flow even inupstream sieves partially clogged in their central area it isadvantageous for the throughflow regulator to be provided with a slopingsurface rising radially upward at an exterior, in particular circularedge region, which leads to a throughflow opening connected to a controlgap or the like, provided with the jet regulator, and for the risingsloping surface and the upstream sieve to be distanced from one another.

This way, inflowing water can be fed from the exterior region of theupstream sieve via the rising sloping surface to the throughflowregulator and, subsequently, to the jet regulator. This ensures thefunctionality of the insert unit according to the invention even with apartially clogged upstream sieve.

In order to achieve a defined flow of water to the throughflow regulatorvia the rising sloping surface and to avoid turbulence in thecircumferential direction, it is useful for the rising sloping surfaceto be provided on its upper side with approximately radially alignedgrooves to form individual inflow channels. Through the bundled waterflow in the feeding channels, the inflow speed can be increased at thethroughflow regulator, and subsequently at the jet regulator as well, sothat the functionality of the insert unit is improved.

It is advantageous for the bars located between the grooves to end closeto or at the interior side of the upstream sieve and to serve as supportelements for said upstream sieve. This way, the bars form supports forthe upstream sieve so that the stability of the arrangement is improvedand an undesired deformation of the upstream sieve, for example byexcessive pressure of the inflowing water, can be avoided.

In order to enable steady water influx it is useful for the bars of therising sloping surface to be distanced from one another in regularintervals in the circumferential direction.

One preferred embodiment of the insert unit according to the inventionincludes the throughflow regulator being provided with a central coreregion, which is surrounded by a circular throttle body, and thatbetween the throttle body and the rising sloping surface a control gapis formed, with the cross-section of its opening being adjustable by thethrottle body deforming under the pressure difference developing by thethroughflow.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

An exemplary embodiment of the insert unit according to the invention isexplained in greater detail in the following using the drawings:

Shown are:

FIG. 1: a side view of an insert unit according to the invention,partially in cross-section

FIG. 2: a top view of the throughflow regulator of an insert unitaccording to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A sanitary insert unit, marked 1 in its entirety, is provided with anupstream sieve 2, a throughflow regulator 3, and a jet regulator 4,detachably connected to one another via its housing.

FIG. 1 shows a side view of the insert unit 1 partially in across-section. Below the upstream sieve 2, formed essentiallycone-shaped, an interior space 6 is formed, in which the throughflowregulator 3 is arranged. The throughflow regulator 3 is provided with acentral core region 7, which is surrounded by a circular throttle body8. Between the throttle body 8 and a radially, inwardly rising slopedsurface 9 a control gap 10 is formed in the exterior edge region of thethroughflow regulator 3, which is in throughflowing connection to thejet regulator 4 located therebelow.

The central core region 7, the throttle body 8, and the rising slopingsurface 9 are sized such that the cross-sectional profile of thethroughflow regulator 3 is substantially form-fitting to thecross-sectional profile of the upstream sieve 2, with the rising slopingsurface 9 and the upstream sieve 2 being distanced from one another. Dueto the arrangement of the throughflow regulator 3 inside the interiorspace 6 formed below the upstream sieve 2 an insert unit 1 results with,in reference to conventional insert units, a reduced construction heightand/or with the ability to realize a construction height for an insertunit housing a throughflow unit, which previously was only possible forinsert units without any throughflow regulators. Thus, the insert unit 1according to the invention can be easily integrated in environments, inwhich previously known jet regulators without any throughflow regulatorshad been used or which are provided with limited space available.

As particularly discernible in FIG. 2, the rising sloped surface 9 isprovided at its upper side with rinsing grooves or the like 11,extending radially and equally spaced apart from one another, in orderto form individual influx channels. These influx channels allow acontrolled incoming flow of water, which enters the throughflowregulator 3 through the area of the upstream sieve 2 above risingsloping surface 9, towards the control gap 10. This way, even in thecase of a sectional clogging of the upstream sieve 2 in the centralregion, for example by contaminants in the inflowing water or by calciumdeposit, sufficient water flow from the exterior region is ensured intothe control gap 10 and subsequently into jet regulator 4.

The bars or protrusions 12 positioned between the grooves 11 andlimiting them end in proximity to the interior side of the upstreamsieve 2. This way, they can serve as support elements for the upstreamsieve 2, in order to improve the stability of the insert unit 1 and toprevent an undesired deformation of the upstream sieve 2 into theinterior space 6, for example by excessive pressure of the inflowingwater or by the handling during the mounting process of the insert unit1.

1. A sanitary unit (1) for insertion into a discharge fitting,comprising an upstream sieve (2), a throughflow regulator (3) and a jetregulator (4) positioned downstream in a flow direction from the sieve,and a majority of the throughflow regulator (3) is arranged generallyinside an interior space (6) of the insert unit (1) defined between anupstream end and a downstream end of the upstream sieve (2).
 2. Aninsert unit according to claim 1, wherein the throughflow regulator (3)is provided with a cross-sectional profile that is shaped substantiallycorresponding to a cross-sectional profile of the upstream sieve (2). 3.An insert unit according to claim 1, wherein the throughflow regulator(3) is provided on an exterior, edge region with a radially inwardrising sloping surface (9), which leads to a control gap (10) connectedto a throughflow opening provided for the jet regulator (4) and therising sloping surface (9) and the upstream sieve (2) are spaced apartfrom one another.
 4. A sanitary unit (1) for insertion into a dischargefitting, comprising an upstream sieve (2), with a throughflow regulator(3) and a jet regulator (4) positioned downstream in a flow direction,wherein the throughflow regulator (3) is arranged generally inside aninterior space (6) of the insert unit (1) limited at a top thereof bythe upstream sieve (2), the throughflow regulator (3) is provided on anexterior, edge region with a radially inward rising sloping surface (9),which leads to a control gap (10) connected to a throughflow openingprovided for the jet regulator (4) and the rising sloping surface (9)and the upstream sieve (2) are spaced apart from one another, and therising sloped surface (9) is provided at an upper side thereof withapproximately radially aligned grooves (11) in order to form individualinflux channels.
 5. An insert unit according to claim 4, wherein bars(12) are located between the grooves (11) and end in close proximity orat an interior side of the upstream sieve (2) and serve as supportelements for the upstream sieve (2).
 6. An insert unit according toclaim 5, wherein the bars (12) of the rising sloped surface (9) areevenly spaced apart from one another in a circumferential direction. 7.An insert unit according to claim 3, wherein the throughflow regulator(3) is provided with a central core area (7), which is surrounded by acircular throttle body (8), and the control gap (10) is formed betweenthe throttle body (8) and the rising sloped surface (9) and has athroughflow cross-section that is adjustable by the throttle body (8)deformed under varying pressure arising during the throughflow.